My NFL Midseason Report

Well the second half of the NFL season is officially underway with tonight’s Colts/Jaguars game. Barring a miracle comeback by Jacksonville, Indianapolis will move on to 6-3 this season. This is a time for me to evaluate my NFL picks at the start of the season, what went right/what went wrong, etc. Anyways my picks will be divided into three categories: The Good, The OK, and The Really Really Bad. You might not think it, but I make mistakes too sometimes :). Anyways without further ado let’s begin.

The Good

1. Peyton Manning as Comeback Player of the Year

OK that one was low-hanging fruit, but come on did you think it would’ve been anybody else. He’s played at an MVP level all season long and I think that come January he’s going to do some great things for this Broncos team. He’s just about locked up the AFC West.

2. Andrew Luck as Rookie of the Year

When you are tied with a legend like Peyton Manning in passing yards as a rookie you deserve the award in my book. Next!

3. All the Division Winners in the AFC

I picked the Broncos, Ravens, Texans, and Patriots all at the start of the season because I saw them all as the class of the division. Denver locked up their division with a blowout win over San Diego, and it looks like Houston is about to run the table en-route to a first-round bye. Things are a little shaky in Baltimore, but I still think they can get a division crown. New England has played a little choppy, but I’m not quite sold on the Dolphins as a contender just yet. It won’t be easy but I say Tom Brady gets another one (baring another ACL injury).

4. Niners as NFC West Champs, and Seahawks as a Wild Card

I still think San Francisco is the class of that division and maybe of the NFC too. Seattle is a good team, but they’re 0-3 in their division and a true contender wins those kinds of games. Great start for the Seahawks though don’t get me wrong.

The OK

5. Pete Carroll as Coach of the Year

Great coach, and he has done a fabulous job of winning with a rookie quarterback. There are better candidates though, and I’m looking at Mike Smith in particular because of how well poised he has his undefeated Falcons. I’m making a lot of revisions here in this section, so here’s one of them.

Coach of the Year: Mike Smith

6. RGIII as Offensive Rookie of the Year

This is no knock against him as a quarterback, but when Andrew Luck throws for over 400 yards like he did last week, you need to play the role of second banana.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Andrew Luck

7. Morris Claiborne as Defensive Rookie of the Year

He plays on the Cowboys, and he’s a heck of a player. It’s just that his team hasn’t been winning lately and unfortunately that’s going to count against him. A player like Chandler Jones on the Pats is winning though, so that makes me more inclined to pick him. Sorry that’s just the way things are.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Chandler Jones

8. The Steelers as a Wild Card

That was a decent pick, but teams like the Colts and Dolphins are starting to gain momentum while a veteran Steelers football team is on a slow and steady decline. They can still get a wild card spot, and maybe even a division title. It’s just that this team isn’t the contender it used to be. A lot of good parts, but that doesn’t make a complete squad.

My First Wild Card: Colts

9. The Packers as the NFC North Champion, and the Bears as a Wild card

Just swap those two. You never know though, the Packers might still have a shot.

10. The Ravens as AFC Champions

They still have a shot, but based off of the beatdown they got in Houston I still think that the Texans are the smart choice here. Unless Joe Flacco can step up his game, I don’t see the Ravens getting past this team, or a surging Broncos team either.

AFC Champions: Wait and See at the End

The Really Really Bad

11. Michael Vick as MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Super Bowl MVP

This is just one of the many stinkers I threw out there. Everyone please just disregard this one. Vick might want to reconsider his Eagles as a “Dynasty” statements.

MVP: Peyton Manning

Offensive Player of the Year: Adrian Peterson

Super Bowl MVP: Nice try, read the rest of my blog idiot

12. Darrelle Revis as Defensive Player of the Year

Did I tell you that these were really bad?! Well I seriously thought Revis Island was immune to any sort of injury, but the football gods proved me wrong when he tore his ACL in Miami. Thus ended the Jets season.

Defensive Player of the Year: J.J. Watt

Speaking of the Jets season…

13. The Jets as a Wild Card

Well this was a stinker. Week 1 against Buffalo things were looking great but then Revis went down, and so did Holmes. The Jets are 3-5 right now and the are really struggling. They might need to start thinking about next season.

My Second Wild Card: Dolphins

And I hate that team too

14. The Eagles as NFC East Champions, the Eagles as NFC Champions, and the Eagles as Super Bowl Champions.

Oh boy how do I explain this one. This team had so much potential but they just had to throw it all away didn’t they. This team isn’t dead yet, but they are seriously going to need to win some games and fast, because come hell or high water Andy Reid and Michael Vick might need to go. This brings me to my revised Super Bowl Pick. It seems obvious that Eagles/Ravens won’t work out.

AND THE NFC CHAMPION IS…

THE CHICAGO BEARS

The Falcons may be the only undefeated team in the NFL, but the Bears and their defense have been playing at a level that hasn’t been seen since they last went to the Super Bowl in 2006. That and their offense is a “SUPER” combination, pun intended. Looks like my Eagles over Packers pick will have to happen in another dimension.

AND THE AFC CHAMPION IS…

THE DENVER BRONCOS

Peyton Manning and the Broncos are really turning on the afterburners now. There is a really high possibility that they will win out to finish their season, and that could be bad for anyone that faces them in January. Sorry Ravens over Texans, that championship game pick is headed over to the writers graveyard.

AND YOUR SUPER BOWL CHAMPION IS…

THE DENVER BRONCOS

Ironic isn’t it, considering that Peyton Manning won his first Super Bowl over this same Chicago Bears team. The Bears defense will come out there and put up a strong fight, but a couple mistakes by Jay Culter will give the Broncos the victory. Which brings us to the decisive moment.

THE SUPER BOWL MVP IS…well I can’t hide it from you it’s obviously Peyton Manning